Dining Out Mindfully: A Simple Strategy to Avoid Overeating

One small move at the start of a restaurant meal does the portion control for you: ask for the to-go box up front.

The Idea

Restaurants serve oversized portions, which makes it hard to judge how much you should actually eat, and easy to overdo it.

The trick is to decide before you're full, not after. When your meal arrives, ask the server to box up half right away and serve you the other half. The choice is made while you're still hungry and clear-headed.

Get the to-go box up front, not at the end. You control the portion before appetite takes over.

Why It Works

Less overeating

A half-sized plate makes it far easier to notice when you're full.

Less waste

The other half is already boxed, so less food gets left behind.

Two meals for one

Tomorrow's lunch comes free, stretching your dining budget.

Making It Work

Tell your server clearly up front; most are happy to split the plate. Stay flexible, though. For dishes that don't reheat well or in more formal settings, share with a dining partner or pick a smaller portion instead.

Atomic Ideas From This Page

Deciding your restaurant portion before you're full beats reacting after.Choosing how much to eat up front avoids the overeating that sets in once appetite takes over.

Boxing half your meal at the start sets the portion automatically.Asking the server up front to box half means the decision is made while you're still clear-headed.

Restaurant portions distort your sense of how much is enough.Oversized plates make a reasonable amount hard to judge.

Splitting a restaurant plate turns one meal into two.It saves food, stretches the budget, and provides tomorrow's lunch.

The split-and-box trick won't fit every meal.For dishes that don't reheat well or formal settings, share a plate or order smaller instead.

Box it first, and let the plate decide for you.